When applying
for an academic, education, scientific or research
positions, you have to write up a CURRICULUM
VITAE, or CV for short, rather than a resume.
This is also necessary, when you apply for
fellowships or government and private grants.
When
applying to a job offer in Europe, the Middle East,
Africa, or Asia, you will have to submit a CV, rather
than a resume. Outside the U.S.A., employers
expect to to know personal information which would never
be on an American resume. This includes your
date of birth, your place of birth, sex, marital status
and your nationality (based on the passport you carry,
not on some idea like "Afro-American" etc!).
Even, if you apply to an American company abroad, U.S.
employment laws about what information job applicants can
be asked, do not apply and, you have to conform to
local employment laws.
The
essential Differences between a Curriculum Vitae and a
Resume
There are
a number of differences between a curriculum vitae and a
resume. The most important ones are
summarized below:
A CV is
longer, usually 2+ pages, and
supplies more chronologically organized
details in relation to skills and
background, of the applicant
An employment
CV always has a detailed
educational and academic (or
trade/apprenticeship training) section
with exact dates of attendance and completion.
An academic employment or research
employment CV will have additional
sections about publications, presentations, and
research details. For instance:
- High
School: (Place; from/to) - University: (Place;
from/to, GPA if applicable) - Graduate School: (Place;
from/to)
- Professional
Training (Legal, Accountancy
etc.- Place; from/to)
For
a U.S. Academic CV
- High
School:(Place; from/to)
- University: (Undergraduate,
Place; Subject; GPA, if applicable;
from/to)
- Graduate School:
(Masters/M.Phil; Subject; Place; from/to)
- Doctoral (Subject
Dissertation Title, University; Place;
from/to) - Post Doctoral Fellowships
or Research (Institution (Place; from/to)
The sequence of your academic
education is often presented inverted (your most
recent educational experience first and High
school last)
A Curriculum
Vitae includes a section on Personal
Information that does
not exist in a resume. This Personal
Data will have to include
the items shown below. An academic CV in the
U.S.A. may have reduced personal information
Date of
Birth: (usually in dd.mm.yyyy
format)
Age
Place of
Birth (City or Commune and
Country)
Marital
Status
Citizenship
(this is the country of your
passport and is therefore also also known
as Nationality)
Number of
Children (with or without their
ages; this is optional, but useful if the
employer has to apply for a residence
permit)
Visa or
Status of Work/Resident Permit (if
you are a foreigner)
Membership
of Professional Associations and
Accreditation (e.g.accountancy, bar,
professional engineers, medical)
Sex
(this might sound unusual, but often
first names can be both male and female)
Publications,
Books and Awards (Only enter
these if they are of substance -
some international recruiters think that
for instance "Salesmen of the
year" would be insufficient as an
award to be mentioned)
Some recruiters and human resource
professionals recommend to add "Personal
Interests" or "Hobbies"
or "Civil Activities". Others
think that this does not have a place on a
Curriculum Vitae. It is clearly up to, how you
feel about the issue. Though, we would recommend
against entering things like religion or
religious activities (e.g. Member of the
Episcopal Church" or similar
affiliations), unless they are part of the job
application (e.g. if you are a pastor or applying
to a church administrative job etc)
European and International Curriculum
Vitae: An Example
This is
the preferred international format when you apply
for a job outside the USA or Canada. It
should be two, and usually not more than four pages long.
If you have long publication lists (for an academic CV)
then attach them separately as
"Research and Publications".
Some
recruiters and CV writers prefer to have education just
after the Qualification Summary. Others place it after
the Work Experience. Both are correct and acceptable.
Your choice might depend on how you estimate the
prospective employer values your educational level versus
your Work Experience.
Remember,
there is no "One Curriculum Vitae fits all Job
Applications" You have to individualize the
applications andemphasize the things
that are important for that particular job!
John
TumbleweedIII
113 Sun Street
Cloudville GA 30333
Phone: (404)333-1111
Email: jtumble@yahoo.net
Objective The
Job you apply for and what you hope to accomplish
in it!
Qualification
Summary - The
specific experience you can offer in the field of
the job your are applying for. - A
summary of education and training that makes your
qualified for the job -
Specific accomplishments, relevant to the job
offered (but don't oversell yourself!)
Work
(or Professional)
Experience
20xx-Present
Job Title -
Company Name - City - State Reporting to: Job
Title
Responsibilities: Name your main
responsibilities
-
state your
responsibilities in your current
or last job. Use action
words (such as
"managed, controlled,
initiated, influenced,
implemented, organized etc.) to
describe how you discharged your
responsibilities. Keep
your sentences short but clear.
Write one idea, one sentence! Use
"bullets" to keep it to
the point
-
make
a clear hierarchy of your
responsibilities and
accomplishments. This
will depend on the job you apply
for but state them in a clear
list (most important ones and the
most relevant ones required in
the job your apply for, first).
Leave off items of peripheral
importance
-
You may
state a reason for leaving (e.g.
promotion to.....) But be careful
that there is nothing negative
about that. If you are unsure
about how your reason for leaving
can be interpreted by an
outsider, do not mention it. If
the recruiter is interested, he
will ask you during an interview!
-
Achievements:
You may state specific and
measurable achievement here (e.g.
for an Accounts Receivable
Manager - Reduced Accounts
Receivable Days from 120 to 90 or
for a Sales Manager: Increased
annual Sales from $x to $y)
19xx-20xx
Job Title -
Company Name - City - State Reporting to: Job
Title
Responsibilities: Name your main
responsibilities
-
Repeat
the above but take care
only to mention relevant
responsibilities and
accomplishments
-
make some
reference to the wider experience
that makes you qualified for the
new job
-
state
quantifiable instances that show
how good you are at your work
19xx-19xx
Job Title -
Company Name - City - State Reporting to: Job
Title
Responsibilities: Name your main
responsibilities
-
Repeat
the above but take care
only to mention relevant
responsibilities and
accomplishments. As you go down
the list of jobs your
responsibilities and achievements
become less important since they
date further back
-
try to
focus on specific skills that
show your suitability to your
potential employer
*
The second, and subsequent pages of your
Curriculum Vitae should always have your contact details
on the top. They might get separated from the first page
and it would be a pity if you lost a job, just because
the potential employer cannot find out, who the
"wonderful person" described on the second or
third page is.
Visa
Status: (if this applies Visa or
Residence Permit Status)
Sex:
(Male, Female - this is not unimportant,
since internationally, names can often be
either male of female)
Number of
Children: (Sometimes important
when employers have to apply for a
residence permit or pay for schools -
usually state it as: 2 boys (9, 12 - one
girl (10))
Other:
(if anything, whatever you think is
important - Maybe Earliest Starting
Date or similar issues)
dd-mm-yyyy
Some
additional Notes
Contact Address: State your
full name, detailed address, phone number, if necessary,
cell phone number and e-mail address at the top of your
CV.
Objective: (sometimes also Job
Objective or Career Objective) Be
careful how you formulate this. It has to be a short credible
statement that would make you attractive to the company
offering the job. Therefore, it has to be job
specific and not a general Career Objective.
Qualification Summary: Hold
this short. It is simply to point out that you are
qualified, academically as well as in terms of work
experience and skills, for the job offered
Work (or Professional) Experience: You
could add below "Responsibilities" something
like "Staff Position" or
"Line Position" with a remark like "two
shift-supervisors with 20 members reporting to this
position". This would give a recruiter a clear
indication, whether or not you have managed people. The
key is to keep the statement short.
Use action words when you
describe the details of your job
responsibilities. Avoid simply listing tasks and
responsibilities. You are not writing a job
description but instead, you point out to a
prospective employer that you can offer specific
experiences which make you suitable for the job
offered.
The further back you go in your job history,
the less detailed your descriptions of responsibilities,
tasks completed and achievements should become. Do not
include items that have no relevance to the job you apply
for.
Having had a long career and steady
career progression with a single employer: If
you apply a good layout this should work
to your advantage. We would recommend a layout as shown
below:
Work
(or Professional)
Experience
19xx-Present
Company
Name - City - State
20xx-Present
Job Title: Reporting
to: Job Title
Responsibilities: Name
your main responsibilities Line
Position with 4 direct
Reports and a total of 30 staff
-
state
your responsibilities in
your current or last job.
Use action words
(such as "managed,
controlled, initiated,
influenced, implemented,
organized etc.) to
describe how you
discharged your
responsibilities.
Keep your sentences short
but clear. Write one
idea, one sentence! Use
"bullets" to
keep it to the point
-
make
a clear hierarchy of your
responsibilities and
accomplishments.
This will depend on the
job you apply for but
state them in a clear
list (most important ones
and the most relevant
ones required in the job
your apply for, first).
Leave off items of
peripheral importance
-
Achievements:
You may state specific
and measurable
achievement here (e.g.
for an Accounts
Receivable Manager -
Reduced Accounts
Receivable Days from 120
to 90 or for a Sales
Manager: Increased annual
Sales from $x to $y)
19xx-20xx
Job Title: Reporting
to: Job Title
Responsibilities: Name
your main responsibilities Staff
Position (Optional: No
direct Reports)
-
Repeat
the above but
take care only to mention
relevant responsibilities
and accomplishments
-
make
some reference to the
wider experience that
makes you qualified for
the new job
-
state
quantifiable instances
that show how good you
are at your work
*
The above layout should point
to and put across to the reader a
clear progression in your career. You might have
to experiment a little with the individual statements so
that you get a coherent career. The key here, if you have
the substance, is in the presentation!
Education: Write this
chronological. Always give the year the degree was
awarded, the name of the university (or college), the
city, state (where this applies) and country where the
university is located . Give the proper title of the
degree, e.g. if it is a B.Sc. (Econ) (Hons) then state it
like that. Also give the subject of the degree (in the
USA often stated as Major and Minor). European recruiters
and employers generally check with the university where
your degree comes from. They also have lists of
accredited universities or colleges, so don't bother with
degree mills or doubtful online colleges. Misstating or
overstating your education will, in Europe and the Middle
East, lead to instant dismissal and you may even be
prosecuted.
Languages: Assessing
language skills is notoriously difficult. But as a
general rule use divide the skill into: speaking,
writing and reading.
Translation and interpreting skills are a whole different
issue. You might very well have good language skills, but
are unable to translate properly, let alone interpret.
fluent (if you speak write or read
close to a native
good (you are able to speak write
and read almost anything and understand it, but
maybe your grammar is not perfect and needs
editing)
basic (you can speak, write and read
basic texts)
Your language skills will have the greatest
credibility if you have certification from a
state institution like the Goethe Institute
(for German) or the Alliance Francais (for
French). If you spent time at a language school in the
country, where the language is spoken, say so!
Professional Associations:
In some countries, like the United Kingdom, and in many
of its former colonies, these are very important, because
they regulate access and the excersise or the skills of
to certain professions (the Bar, the Law Society, the
various Accountancy bodies, the Society of Actuaries
etc). State it here, if you are a member of such a body.
But don't fill this with memberships of some meaningless
voluntary institution.
Publications (and, if
applicable, Research): If the list of
meaningful and job relevant publications is short, show
it here. Otherwise use a separate page for that. If you
have completed Research of a doctoral or
MPhil. dissertation mention the title, the year and the
subject here.
Personal Data: Details of
this are shown above in either the green section or the
actual CV. In an academic CV for the USA, the amount of
personal information should be limited.
Put the date of completion of the
Curriculum Vitae at the bottom of the last page
so that the reader knows, he has a current CV.
*
The key
elements of writing a CV is that the items you
mention have to be relevant to the job you apply for .
Listing a lot of achievements that do not show a link to
the prospective job is useless and your CV will end up in
the waste paper bin.
Some
more Tips for writing a Curriculum Vitae
Make
sure your resume focuses on the right audiences,
not a general audience. Make the recipient and
the reader feels the Curriculum Vitae was
exclusively written for him.
State
achievements, along with strong action words and
keywords and keyword phrases.
Write
a resume that is attractive to a human reader
such as the recruiter or HR professional. But, it
has, at the same time to be readable by
computerized resume management systems.
Write
your resume on straight white paper. Manage white
spaces well with your layout. See that there are
no typos. Have it read and re-read by a third
person before you send it of to a potential
employer.
